Lord Sesshomaru arose with the sun, standing on the edge of a tall cliff as the firey ball slowly rose into the air.
The morning air was cool, but already starting to warm up. The heat was light on the skin, promising a warm day, or even a hot one. A faint mist hugged the ground far below, giving the illusion that the Demon Lord stood on the edge of the world, with only clouds below. The tops of the clouds seemed to glitter in the new sunlight, sparkling gently.
A bird started to sing behind him.
A light breeze sprung up, tugging playfully at his long silver hair, at the battle fur he wore over his shoulder, his Moko-Moko. He raised a hand, stilling the fur from waving too wildly.
The days grow warmer still. Fewer trees change colour now. Animals grow confused as to whether they should migrate or not. In all my years, I have never seen an autumn like this one. Is it the coming war? Is Keimetsu able to change the very weather? Is he that strong?
He gazed at the sun until it grew too bright even for his eyes, and he looked away.
His gaze moved behind him, to where a small brown sparrow sat on a tree branch, still singing. To the Demon Lord it looked like every other small bird that flew in the forest.
Sesshomaru spoke lowly, "Do you know where she is, then? Even now? Is she in her Lady's Celestial Palace, or does she walk the lands below?"
The small bird stopped singing, cocking it's small bright black eye at him.
Lord Sesshomaru turned away, scowling. He wasn't sure what he had expected, and he felt foolish talking to a bird.
He remembered walking in the heavens with Izumi, as she showed him around her home. He remembered asking to see her room, and seeing all the images of birds she had collected over time. They meant a great deal to her.
"These earrings are my most prized possession," the woman had told him, once. The earrings his own father had given her, a gift of friendship.
He also remembered walking into what Izumi called the "Viewing room", and seeing the image in the giant glass sphere in the ceiling; a glittering symbol in the black night sky, motionless and shining like a beacon.
A galaxy, she had called it.
"I come here and look at it" her voice echoed in his ears, "It relaxes me."
Jakken looked up as the Demon Lord walked into the camp. Rin had just awoken, and she was splashing water from a tiny pool onto her face.
The liitle girl looked up at the Lord Sesshomaru, and beamed.
"Good morning, my Lord!"
Jakken spoke as well, "Would you like some tea, my Lord? I will have this fire going very soon."
"No. Has Rin eaten?"
"Not yet, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin wiped her face in the sleeves of her robe, "I think there's still some fried fish left over from last night."
Above them, a bird suddenly burst into song, trilling sweetly. Sesshomaru regarded the bird in silence, wondering if this was the same bird he had seen out by the cliffside. How could one possibly tell them apart?
Rin stood up, smiling, listening, "Oh, how beautiful!"
Sesshomaru said nothing.
Rin listened to the bird sing, as Jakken gently blew on the sparks, trying to get a fire going. The little girl listened dreamily, then turned and looked at Sesshomaru.
"I wonder where Lady Izumi is, my Lord? I haven't seen her lately at all."
Sesshomaru looked away, as if bored, hiding the fact he had been wondering the very same thing.
"Rin," Jakken gently scolded, "the Lady Izumi is a very busy woman. She cannot just drop by all the time, you know."
"Oh I know," Rin said softly.
"Besides, she is probably still recovering from her illness."
Sesshomaru stirred, looking back at the imp, "Illness?"
Jakken peered at a tiny flame with one eye, the other closed tight, judging it, "Oh yes, she was quite ill."
"When?"
Jakken looked up at his Lord, "Why, don't you remember, my Lord? After the Lady Izumi went to yo-"
The imp's eyes widened, and he began to stammer.
"Er...I mean...I only dreamed that the Lady Izumi was ill! Because the Lady wasn't really ill, my Lord, no, of course not! Why would the Lady be ill? It's truly a silly thing to even suggest!"
Sesshomaru took a step towards Jakken, who began to panic.
"P-Pay no attention to me, my Lord! My mind is mixed up as of late! I don't understand anything of what I'm saying! W-Why, even right now, I have no idea what I'm talking about!"
Sesshomaru scowled.
Jakken panicked deeper, and turned to flee. The Demon Lord's foot planted itself squarely in the imp's back, and pinned him to the ground.
"Jakken," Lord Sesshomaru's voice was very calm, and even polite, "Have you been keeping secrets from me?"
Jakken began to flail his arms and legs, "Auugghh! My Lord, please! I did not mean to! I wanted to tell you at once, I truly did, but the Lady Izumi begged me not to tell you unless you asked! And you did not ask! I swear, I was not keeping secrets! Augh! Please, my Lord!"
Sesshomaru pushed down harder on the imp, "Oh? So you listen to the Lady's commands, and not my own? Perhaps I should send you to live with her and be her vassal, seeing as you are so loyal to her."
Jakken wheezed, "No, please Lord Sesshomaru! I am your vassal, loyal and true! Please! You yourself told me I was to listen to the Lady Izumi when she gave me an order! I told her I would not lie to you, and she merely asked that I not bring it up unless you asked! But you- " wheeeeze " - are obviously asking, so I will tell you!"
"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin's small voice came to him, "Please don't be angry at Master Jakken. I'm sure he didn't mean to openly disobey you! Jakken just didn't really know what to do, I'm sure, being loyal to you and being told to obey Lady Izumi!"
"That's right!" Jakken grasped any help, "Please my Lord, forgive me!"
Sesshomaru pressed down harder still, cutting off Jakken's air for a few seconds, then stepped away with a look of disgust on his face. He watched, cooly, as the imp crawled wheezing to his feet, trying to catch his breath.
"You owe your miserable life to Rin, Jakken," Sesshomaru said, his voice like ice, "Until you prove yourself to me."
"Yes my Lord, yes, of course! I will-"
"You will tell me what happened," the Demon Lord's voice echoed in the clearing like a thunderclap, "And leaving nothing out."
"Of course! Of course!"
Jakken crawled over to crouch at Sesshomaru's feet, and began talking.
"It was when you were...interrupted...by that horrible woman, Jujumin." Jakken dared not say abducted, or worse, kidnapped.
"I found the Lady Izumi in the forest, and told her what had happened. I was so very worried, and I could tell Lady Izumi was worried as well. When I asked her what to do, she told me to stay and look after Rin, while she went to...see you."
"Continue."
"Well....a short time later, both you and her returned to the clearing."
Sesshomaru gazed at the branches of a nearby tree, remembering. Izumi had come to...help him. At first he had thought she was seeking revenge for being struck....being pinned to a tree with the Demon Lord's own sword...but Izumi had showed no interest in revenge, at least not for her. She was, however, furious that Jujumin had captured Sesshomaru.
He remembered her entering Jujumin's castle. The massive stone doors had exploded inward...how the water had boiled at her feet, the plaster on the walls melting. How the trees had burst into flames as she passed them.
How Izumi herself had seemed almost to glow, like burnished metal, burning with an inner fire.
Goddess's Fire, she had called it.
Jujumin's minions had called Izumi by other names....Amaterasu's Flame, the Highest Priestess....
With each surge of anger from the woman, the castle had shuddered, thumping as if being struck by lightning, great jagged cracks appearing in walls.
He had had no idea she was capable of such power...or anger....
"My..My Lord?" Jakken spoke hesitantly. Sesshomaru came back with a start, aware Jakken had spoken, and had gotten no answer from him.
"Repeat that."
"I said that when she had made sure you were well settled, Lord, she left. I noticed that she was starting to sweat, and the night was actually rather cool. Realizing she had not told me the proper amount of herbs to put in your tea, I chased after her, and found her...kneeling on the ground, My Lord."
"Kneeling?"
"Yes. I first thought she was weeping, for her shoulders were shaking...and as I grew closer, I realized that she was in fact shuddering, shaking very badly. She was in great pain."
Sesshomaru's brows twitched.
Jakken continued, "I thought she was sick as well, and was going to tell you, or get Rin, but she begged me not to. She told me that...that she was being punished for her actions."
"Punished. By whom?"
"Her Lady."
Sesshomaru fell silent. That made no sense. Amaterasu and Izumi worked so perfectly together...why would...
Jakken saw the confusion on his Lord's face, and continued, "She went to aid you, my Lord, without the Goddess's permission. And because of that, she was being punished."
Sesshomaru scowled, his voice oddly bitter, "Oh indeed?"
"Well....she explained, My Lord, that the Goddess wasn't really doing it purposefully. But that when a God or Goddess takes a vassal, they have to agree to certain rules. One of them is that they can't enter combat or even take revenge for something, unless their Goddess expressly allows it. They will be punished for it, even if the God or Goddess doesn't wish it. Izumi knew this, but she still ran to your aid, angry, and seeking to punish Jujumin. So after it was over....she had to endure the punishment."
"Oh poor Lady Izumi!" Rin sighed.
Sesshomaru's eyes moved to the small bird again, once more singing in the tree.
"I see."
He turned, and started away from the clearing.
"M-My Lord? Where are you going?"
Sesshomaru paused, not looking back, "Do you truly think you should be asking such?"
Jakken paled, "Of course not, my Lord, forgive me!"
"Take care of Rin. You owe much to her."
"Yes, my Lord."
The Demon Lord walked from the clearing, into the forest.
Lord Sesshomaru walked in silence, lost in thought. His thoughts were in turmoil, and it was a very new experience for him. He wasn't sure what to do about it.
She acted without her Lady's permission. And was punished for this. And she knew she would be punished.
A bird called in the forest.
She knowingly went against her Lady, to aid me.
Another bird called.
Why? She loves her Lady so much. Why would she risk this?
An image came to him....Izumi, searching for the earrings she thought she had lost. The earrings his father had given her.
The galaxy.
"It relaxes me."
He scowled.
Why does my mind run in circles this way? What is it I am searching for?
He moved along the path.
Sango draped a damp blanket over the line that was tied between two trees, "There. That should dry nicely."
Kagome smiled at her over the blanket, "At least our wash dries pretty quickly now."
"Yes, but still.....I hope the heat breaks soon. The ground is starting to dry out."
Kagome nodded, and looked over her shoulder at her three male friends, gathered around a small fire. Shippo was making his way through a picture book Kagome had brought over for him. The hanyou was seated cross-legged under a tree, his back against the trunk. The sword kit Kagome had bought him a while back was open before him, and InuYasha had just finished sharpening the Tetsusaiga. Now he began to work the fine oil into the blade. Across the fire, Miroku was kneeling before a large pot on the fire, stirring the bubbling liquid within.
"How's the soup coming, Miroku?" Kagome called to him.
"I think it's just about done, actually," the monk's cheerful voice rang back to her, "It seems done, at any rate."
Kagome walked over to the pot, and peered in, "It smells wonderful! I think it's great you're learning to cook, Miroku. It's a handy skill to have. You might not always have someone around to cook for you."
The monk smiling charmingly at her, "A horrible thought. But you're right. There's really no reason a man can't learn to cook properly. I can't expect you and Sango to cook all the time, after all. Fair is fair."
Inside, Kagome beamed. She had never thought, in a million years, that the once-womanizing monk could change. Casting a quick look over her shoulder at Sango, she thought to herself, Of course, he has a great reason to, now, doesn't he? He's still trying to show Sango he's changed.
Sango knelt beside InuYasha, leaning over to sniff at the pot, "It does smell good, Miroku."
"It's rather similar to making ink, to be honest. Although one doesn't use smell to guide them in making ink."
"Making ink's harder," Sango laughed, "I made such a mess the first time I tried it."
"Nonsense," Miroku said softly, "It was an excellent attempt. I used it, after all."
Sango smiled at Miroku, who gently returned it. Kagome almost wiggled inside.
"Well, let's eat!" Shippo said, putting his book away, "I'm starving!"
Sango and Kagome served up the meal, Kagome gently chided InuYasha until the hanyou put aside his Tetsusaiga, and they all settled down to eat.
"What time is Izumi going to show up, I wonder?" Shippo asked.
InuYasha shrugged, but spoke, "She said shortly after sun down."
"I wonder why she asked to meet Kohaku?" Sango asked quietly.
"Maybe she just wants to meet your brother, Sango," Miroku said carefully. He was aware the demon-slayer was still very protective of her little brother.
"Oh I know, I'm just being silly," Sango replied quickly, blushing, "I know Izumi would never..."
There was a pause for a second, and then Kagome spoke, hesitantly, "Sango...what did you say Izumi said when you showed her that family painting?"
Poor Sango blushed harder, "I felt like such an idiot. Izumi seemed almost upset. But it resembles her, so much. I remember seeing that old scroll when I was a little girl, and when I saw Izumi for the first time, I was so sure it was her. But it lists the woman as the family protector."
"What picture?" InuYasha asked, curious.
Sango turned, and rummaged in her backpack for a second. Removing a scroll from a wooden tube, she handed it to him. InuYasha put down his bowl, and unrolled the scroll.
He blinked, "That is Izumi!"
The woman on the painting was a perfect image of the woman they knew. The hair was a little shorter, and she was not wearing her usual long robes, and had nothing with any images of birds, but the face, and the eyes, were the same.
"She said it wasn't, InuYasha."
"Come on, look at it! It's her! Same eyes, same hair..." he frowned as he looked at the image. The scroll was indeed old....but Izumi herself said that she was ancient.
" 'Family protector', huh? It's got to be her!"
"Why would she lie, InuYasha?" Kagome asked, gently.
InuYasha handed back the scroll to Sango, his words a little clipped, "Maybe she's not. Maybe Amaterasu said she wasn't allowed to."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"InuYasha," Miroku said cautiously, "Amaterasu is a Goddess. It's really not a good idea to speak of her so-"
"I'll speak of her however I want!" InuYasha suddenly retorted, his golden eyes angry, "She wouldn't let Izumi help my mother when we both needed her the most!"
InuYasha tossed his bowl of soup aside, rising, and stalking away from the group.
Miroku sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, "I never knew...."
"He hasn't really talked about it," Kagome said gently.
"Why on earth would the Goddess not allow Izumi to help InuYasha's mother? Weren't they close friends at one time?"
Kagome nodded, stirring her bowl of soup with a spoon, her own appitite lessened, "Izumi and InuYasha's parents were very close, yes. His mother was like Izumi's sister, and InuYasha's father was like her brother. Izumi loved them both, very much, and when his father was killed, Izumi grieved terribly."
"InuYasha told you this?" Miroku gently asked.
Kagome nodded, "Yeah, he told me one night. He needed to get some things straight in his head, you know....anyway...so when Izumi had seen InuTashio buried properly, she went to try and find InuYasha's mother. She knew she had just given birth, and....she knew that they would need help. Especially because...of InuYasha."
"Being hanyou," Miroku finished softly.
Kagome nodded, "Izumi knew a woman with a child and no husband would have it hard anyway, but to have a hanyou child....but Amaterasu had blocked his mother from Izumi. Izumi had no idea where they were. And despite everything...she wouldn't let Izumi find them."
"Why?" Sango asked. Shippo was all eyes as he listened.
"Because," Kagome sighed sadly, "Amaterasu said that InuYasha was going to have to learn some things to become who he would become. That he needed to understand some things....things that only his life alone would teach him."
"Like what?" Shippo asked.
Kagome was silent for a moment, then spoke very softly, "Amaterasu said InuYasha was going to have to learn what it meant to be alone."
There was another long silent pause, before Shippo spoke in almost a whisper, "Poor InuYasha."